Twitterpated
by olehoncho
Summary: A change happens to Shino in the aftermath of his 18th birthday, his Kikaichu insects begin acting very erratically. Somehow their behavior is related to Hana Inuzuka, how will the usually thoughtful Shino deal with this problem. Shino & Hana.
1. Chapter 1

"Good night Shino, happy birthday." Hinata said in her usual quiet manner before leaving Shino's apartment.  
"Thanks again for all the help Hinata." Shino replied in his usual flat manner as she left. Her escort was already waiting outside and Shino hated drawn out departures anyway.

That left Shino with only one remaining guest, Kiba. His second teammate was passed out on the floor. Despite still only being 17 Kiba had thought to bring some sake to Shino's 18th birthday party. How Kiba got his hands on the stuff was one matter of concern, what confused Shino was why bring sake with the intention of giving it as a present only to wind up drinking all of it yourself.

Shino went to work finishing cleaning up after his guests. Thankfully Hinata and his teacher Kurenai had offered to help with the dishes, but there was glitter everywhere and Shino was not about to let that linger until morning.

It was a nice apartment. Everything he needed for starting himself out as a young man. Turning 18 and getting away from your parent's house is what every young man is supposed to do. Though this sentiment was more often repeated by Shino's father than by Shino himself. His flat occupied one of the corners of the Aburame compound but it had direct access to the streets allowing Shino some degree of freedom from his parents.

Kiba became slightly roused by the sound of the vacuum that Shino had brought out to clean up the floor. His attempts to rise to his feet slightly amused Shino, his teammate always seemed clumsy to him.

"Well thish haash been a really niche party Shino," Kiba said slurring his word and walking imbalanced, "I think I'll go home now *hiccup*"

Shino finished vacuuming and put the machine back in his cloak closet when he heard a thump on the other side of the room followed by an audible "ow" coming from Kiba. Closing the door Shino found that Kiba had fallen and put a sizeable gash in his head by hitting the table by the front door.

"It'sh okay, thish doesn't hurt sho bad." Kiba said as his eyes rolled back into his head.

Shino rolled his eyes himself, but for an entirely different reason. He took off his overcoat, knowing he would get blood on it, picked up Kiba and proceeded to go off to the nearest hospital. Thankfully the Inuzuka compound was only a couple of blocks away, it's hospital was usually open at night. Adding to Kiba's usual bad scent was the smell of alcohol on his breath, Shino quickened his pace through the quiet evening streets of Konoha. Luckily the veterinary hospital was open despite the fact that it was well after midnight.

As Shino entered he saw that the resident doctor was Kiba's sister Hana. She was wearing the white overcoat that most doctor's wear and doing paperwork at her desk. Her hair was not tied back in her usual ponytail, she probably lets it down late at night only tying it back when she has to work on a patient Shino figured. When she looked up to notice Shino carrying Kiba she pulled her hair back behind her ear, for some reason this action caused all of Shino's Kikaichu to flutter in their hives deep in Shino's body.

"Good evening Shino," Hana began in her gentle tone of voice which hardened up when she noticed the person Shino was carrying, "Oh dear, what did he do to himself this time?"  
"Your brother needs some treatment to his head," Shino said bluntly, "After all he fell and hit my front table."  
"Put him in this chair over here then." Hana said while tying her hair back in her usual ponytail.

Shino tried his best to get Kiba to sit upright but by this point the body had gone limp from sleep.

Hana pulled out a flashlight to get a better look at Kiba's scalp she sniffed sharply twice before saying, "Oh dear, mother is going to be angry at you little Kiba. This is the second time this year you've stolen from her sake cabinet, and it's still just January."

Pulling out a pair of scissors from her pocket she slipped the hair away from where the gash was. Her lips pursed as it seemed she was appraising the damage.

Shino was waiting on the other side of the room when Hana called to him, "Would you mind grabbing that white bucket up there is labeled staples?"

Turning around Shino saw the bucket she had pointed to and brought it over to her. She opened the lid and inside were all manner of medical staples of varying sizes. Without even looking in the box she reached in and grabbed the size she needed. She then got up from the chair she was sitting on and motioned for Shino to sit in it.

"I need you to hold his head still while I do this," she said, "thankfully he's asleep so I don't have to waste anesthesia on him."

Taking his teammate's head in his hands Shino did as he was told as Hana applied an antibiotic disinfectant to the area right before she began stapling her little brother's head shut. The tool she used looked more like a drill than anything else, but in just a few quick motions she had put eight staples in her brother's head closing his wound.

"Now lay him on the bed and let him sleep it off," Hana said as she took off her gloves and once again undid her hair. "Thanks for brining this lug here. He's always been a bit of a burden, but he's a good kid."  
"Do you need me for anything else?" Shino asked hesitantly.  
"Not really."

For some reason Hana seemed a little sad. Shino had always felt a connection to this woman who was the sister of his squad member, but was always unsure of himself when around her. But for some reason it was Hana who seemed to be uncomfortable with herself this evening.

Before turning to leave Shino heard her say, "I know it's a day late but I want to wish you a happy birthday." She was still wearing her white coat, which in the soft light gave the impression that she was glowing faintly; Shino's bugs fluttered again.

Clearing his throat, Shino responded, "Uh, thank you." He then waved her a goodbye before leaving.

That night Shino didn't sleep at all. His Kikaichu were going crazy, he had to release them periodically to ease the vibrations they were causing. In the morning he went to see his father about it, telling him everything about how the bugs were acting.

"Hmm, yes they do that sometimes;" Shino's father Shibi said, "but they usually do that only as a reaction to some stimulus."  
"Stimulus, like what?" Shino asked confusedly.  
"Well the Kikaichu feed off of our chakra network, which is made up of our body and spiritual energies. Anything that disrupts either of those two can cause your chakra to be slightly different which will make the Kikaichu react like that."  
"So what caused them to react?"  
"I have my own theory about that son. Now you say they didn't start going crazy until you got to the hospital right?"  
"Yeah."  
"If I recall correctly you mentioned that the young Inuzuka Hana was on duty correct."  
Shino felt his face start to get warmer, "Yes she was."  
"And the Kikaichu started reacting when you saw her?"  
Shino started feeling faint vibrations even as his father was talking. His arm was twitching noticeably, even from behind that cloak of his Shino saw his father smiling.

"Just as I thought son. Your bugs are reacting due to two things: the first is your increased heart rate that occurs when you're around the young Inuzuka girl, the second is…" Shibi let out an audible 'ahem', "a rise in your body's hormones."  
"Are you saying that my insects are trying to tell me that I'm in love?"  
"The technical term is twitterpated son, but yes you are. Even if you don't necessarily recognize it yourself yet. Eventually your bugs will get accustomed to you being like that and they will settle down. Until then, maybe you should avoid thinking about the Inuzuka girl."

Shino thought for a moment about what his father said, but realized the impossibility of the suggestion. Even though the vibrations were worsening, he couldn't seem to get Hana off of his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Unfit for Duty.

Those words dug into Shino deeper than the sting of a giant hornet, and hurt just as bad. It had almost been a week since the shaking had started and conditions were not improving. His father Shibi had consulted his instructor Kurenai and recommended that Shino be suspended from missions for the time being. But those words in particular kept jabbing at him.

It was not as though there was no change to Shino's condition, his Kikaichu were adapting to the condition his father had ridiculously called being "twitterpated" and were jittering considerably less. But when they did jitter it was for an extended period of time, his last attack he measured at lasting 45 minutes without stop. On the bright side, his father told him, his muscles were going to be fairly well toned from the repeated jerking movements his body was going through; this thought did little to ease Shino's tension.

Thinking of ways to lessen the mental strain he was accruing from the boredom of inaction Shino occupied his days with exercises aimed at figuring out how to trick the Kikaichu into lessening their reaction. As it was late January, and the weather being quite cold, Shino spent most of his days in an outdoor park. Though this increased the chance of being seen by others, it also exposed the Kikaichu to a lower temperature which would slow down their metabolic rate and activity level. This strategy seemed to work with a degree of success, so Shino continued his outdoor lifestyle for the next few days.

Saturday morning started off as most of Shino's recent days had gone. Waking up a good 2 hours before his alarm clock sounded by being vibrated awake, and by the time he calmed down he was too lucid to return to sleep so he got up. A simple bachelor's breakfast of cold cereal and fruit with the staple super-vitamin pills that most shinobi incorporate into their diet filled him to his satisfaction. The shaking began again after he had finished breakfast and rendered him incapable of tying his scarf around his neck, leaving it as it was he went outside and began his morning rounds.

The bookstore's magazine rack had it's new issue of the outdoors' monthly periodical that Shino always bought. He enjoyed looking at the images and seeing the subtle hints of what insects dwelt in the scenery. With a sudden twitch Shino looked up to realize that he had walked past the park he usually frequented, not minding though he decided to go to the new lake park. Konoha's new memorial lake park was built in honor of the rebuilding efforts during the time following the invasion of Pain. Quickly brushing off the snow from a bench Shino took a seat and waited out in the cold.

Occasionally the silence was broken up by the sound of crunched snow as people walked by, fortunately most walked on by practically oblivious to the lake park as it was built as a detour from the more popular aqueduct walkway. Shino stopped bothering to look up after a while, he figured the few people who came this way were not going to come this direction anyways.

Oddly when his Kikaichu began acting up this morning they didn't cause a physical shake but rather an audible humming sound. Shino wondered if the change in symptom meant that his cold treatment was having an effect; regardless it made it more difficult for him to hear anything, especially the sound of many oddly shaped feet approaching his location.

Unknown to Shino this path happens to be a favorite of the Inuzuka Clan for morning runs. This particular morning it was Inuzuka Hana who was just finishing up a run with the Haimaru Brothers, her personal ninja dog pack. Having just finished a 10 km run she let the brothers take their rest by the lake drinking their fill. She looked up and noticed Shino on the other side of the lake sitting by himself. Thinking it odd that he would be out on a cold morning like this just reading her curiosity got the better of her and she walked over to the bench he was sitting on.

Shino was oddly mumbling to himself, "Hmm… wild muscari flowers in southern Land of Water indicates the presence of tiger swallowtails… blooming quince flowers of western Land of Wind would mean that the green pug larvae is feeding and the dwarf honey bee is pollinating…"

"You can tell all that just by looking at the flowers?" a faint voice said from behind Shino's head. Turning around Shino first noticed a red fang on either cheek of the face he had unsuccessfully been able to get off of his mind. The Kikaichu rumbled gently and faded down thankfully.

"Uh, it's just a game I play," Shino answered deliberately, "I look at the native species of plants or the look of the vegetation and I guess what species of insect lives there."

"Hmm…," Hana began to wonder, "How about that patch of undergrowth on the side of that forest path?"

"Aah," Shino let out his usual audible grunt before starting, "the leaves you see there are full of holes, that means the Popillia japonica is eating the leaves, but not the veins… also the irregular webs between those sticks there show that a chiri isoro spider has a nest there."

"Quite the eye for details you have."

Hana's compliment was delivered with a genuine smile, Shino could feel the sides of his face getting warmer.

"What brings you out here this time of morning?"

"Oh the Haimaru Brothers were complaining that I don't train with them enough. We do 10 km training runs every other day and they want more. It's as though they're still puppies wanting to go out more often…"

Shino began rubbing his ear, as the humming sound became gradually louder making it hard to hear Hana. He barely caught the tail end of her question, "…you doing this morning?"

"I'm just enjoying the morning air."

"It's -6º C this morning; you enjoy it this cold?"

Shino often relied on the disinterest of others to end conversations quickly; why was it that when he talked to Hana that this never seemed to be the case? Deciding to be honest, Shino answered, "I'm temporarily suspended from active duty. I have a medical condition that is alleviated by the cold temperatures."

Hana was still leaning over the side of the bench at this point, it was all Shino could do to not direct his attention to the fact that her feminine features were accentuated by her pose. Just the thought caused his Kikaichu to jitter slightly. The disturbance distracted his attention, he didn't even notice it when she sat down next to him. When Shino regained control of his senses he realized that Hana had her hand on his chin and was guiding his face towards hers. With her other hand she slipped down his hood and she unzipped the top of his coat.

"Hana, what are you…" Shino managed to say before he was interrupted.

"Trust me, I'm a doctor." Hana said in a very professional manner.

She checked his temperature by placing her hands on either side of his face. She then removed his glasses and looked in his eyes. This was the first time Shino had ever been so close to a girl, but her eyes… Shino found himself lost in those dark yet soft pools.

"You know what?" Hana asked with a coy smile on her face, "The only thing wrong with you is that you hide your handsome eyes behind these glasses all the time. Aside from that you have some muscular stiffness and an increased temperature, otherwise you're fine."

She had withdrawn her hands, but Shino reached his hand out to grab hers. He felt a slight smile cross his own face, it felt good to touch her. It was then that the humming sound in his ears disappeared entirely. Hana seemed to flush as the Haimaru Brothers were waiting.

"Bye Shino, see you later. Take care of yourself." She said as she ran off.

As soon as she was out of sight, the Kikaichu's rumbling returned stronger than they had before. Shino was unable to calm them down this time. He ran home as quickly as he could and took a long cold shower. It was then he realized that it was not Hana's presence the Kikaichu were reacting to, but her absence.


	3. Chapter 3

One does not normally air dray after a shower with the window open in late January, but the frigid air was one of the few things which seemed to help in Shino's recent struggle with his Kikaichu. For a moment Shino debated whether or not he should dry his hair as it would cool him down even further; he eventually decided that while being cold is one thing, developing hypothermia or pneumonia is another so he dried his hair. Shino found himself unable to stand as the muscles in his lower legs lost all of their strength forcing him to take a seat. Unfortunately there was no solace in the chair either, as he found his torso jerking involuntarily to either the right or left side.

Eventually found himself on the floor lying down with his arms and legs outstretched, though his jitters vibrated his body at random intervals and locations.

"Why am I prolonging this?" Shino asked himself. Having already concluded that his body was in one way or another reacting to Hana it seemed pointless to hope that the problem would just go away without addressing the source. Sitting up with his back against the wall provided enough change and a sense of control for Shino to collect himself. Why were the Kikaichu reacting to Hana? What was she to them? Or to him?

Perhaps it was his recent birthday that caused Shino to reflect on years past. His childhood spent getting used to the Kikaichu that had been infused in his body shortly after birth. Years at the academy with peers who didn't fully understand him. He chuckled when he remembered the look on his teammate Hinata's face shortly after she had awakened her Byakugan technique and saw the hive of insects in his body. His performance in the Chunin exams, where he was finally raised in rank.

With each memory he felt a small shock in his lower skull. As though remembering a detail he had missed, or forgotten. A scraped knee and an older girl with wild hair putting on a bandage from that first-aid kit she always carried around. Afternoons waiting after the academy for his parents to pick him up, but not afternoons spent alone the girl's hair was now in a ponytail and her cheeks sported red fangs. The Chunin exam's crowd was a forest of faces, his memory became sharper as one face stood out like a single flower on a tree.

If turning 18 meant anything it marked the start of adulthood, and to Shino that meant taking responsibility for yourself and making decisions. Feeling some strength return to his legs Shino got up and went to his dresser. Getting dressed proved to be a formidable challenge. The first shirt he put on lost a sleeve when a muscle spasm in his right arm jerked as he was putting his arm into it. His pants fared no better, he succeeded in getting his third pair on after the first two wound up ripped in half. Normally these events would have bothered Shino were it not for two reasons: the first being that he had intended on buying new clothes anyways, the second being that his thoughts were occupied with someone else.

Forgoing his overcoat Shino walked the familiar path to the Inuzuka Hospital where he hoped to find Hana. The sun had come out and was melting the early morning snow, his mind was too preoccupied to notice that he was only wearing his sandals and his feet were both cold and muddy. Arriving at the hospital Shino was somewhat crestfallen to find out that Hana was not on duty until later that evening. With a few additional questions he discovered that she was most likely at home grooming the winter coats of the Inuzuka Clan's dogs.

Taking the back alleys of Konoha was the faster, although messier, alternative to taking the main streets. After five minutes of trudging through the snow he found himself at the Inuzuka household. The double-door entryway to the compound was slightly ajar, he had to fight the impulse to stereotype Konoha's messiest family as being lax on security as well. Deciding not to knock Shino stepped up to the Intercom and paused before pressing the button. Hesitation gripped him, what if she was busy, what if the whole Clan was over? He didn't want to impose on them but before his hesitation got the better of him a muscle tremor caused his finger to lunge forward and hit the doorbell.

The sound of approaching steps was peculiar, doubtless it was in fact one of the Inuzuka dogs. Sure enough the muzzle of a dog snuck out between the open cracks of the door and sniffed sharply twice.

"Hmm… what brings the young master of Aburame to our household this day?" the dog asked.

Shino took a second to remember that the more advanced Inuzuka dogs could actually speak, this one was Kuromaru the dog of Kiba and Hana's mother, Tsume.

"Well speak up if you can." The dog sounded somewhat irritated.

Summoning his courage, though speaking in a somewhat flat and withdrawn voice Shino responded, "I heard that Hana was at home, may I see her?"

"Whatever for pup?"

His mind went blank for a moment before thinking up a good reason for him to be here, "Uh, there's a medical question I wanted to discuss with her."

The door flew open as Kuromaru's jaw whipped to the side. The dog's eyebrows were lowered at him, which was rather intimidating as he was indeed the largest in the Clan.

"She's in the south wing cub." Kuromaru said while turning around and headed back to the main house "Close the door behind you on your way in."

Shino attempted to close the door only to find that it stopped in it's ajar position. Realigning him sense of direction, Shino walked towards the southern building which seemed to serve as the kennel for the Clan. Sure enough Shino found Hana hard at work combing and grooming the dogs most of which seemed to be either restless or cold. Without turning her head Hana grabbed a stool which was lying on the floor and set it upright next to her.

"Come on Shino, sit down." She said in a voice that sounded somewhat tired. "I'm a little busy and I have to finish up here soon."

"I won't take long," Shino responded. Taking a second to orient himself as he sat down Shino's gaze looked back to the kennel's entrance where he spotted Kuromaru looking at him. His hesitation was noticed by Hana.

"Don't worry about Kuromaru. He's just a little sullen because he had bet me his afternoon snack that you wouldn't ring the doorbell, he lost."

"How did…" Shino began to ask as Hana cut him off putting her finger up to her nose. That action irritated her for some reason.

"Gosh I hate my name sometimes."

Shino remembered that Hana could mean both flower and nose. Still somewhat uncollected Shino said, "I think you have a beautiful name."

Hana smiled and may have blushed, the red tattoos on her cheeks made it difficult to know though. Shaking her head, as though clearing mental cobwebs she returned her to her business-like attitude. "So what can I help you with?"

Shino's mind rushed as he tried to remember the scenarios that he had thought of as he was walking through the snow to lead into talking to her. But all of the reasons from animal pheromones to muscular atrophy in cold weather seemed pointless as she would just ask why he hadn't consulted his Father. He could feel Kuromaru's impatience on the back of his head and his own Kikaichu all seemed to be fluttering in their hives. He looked up with resolution as the words finally came to him…

"Hana, are you done in there? You're going to be late for Iwashi Tatame's party tonight." The booming voice of Tsume Inuzuka came from the back of the kennel, "I want you looking nice tonight, can't go to his party looking like… well like me."

Losing what he was going to say, Shino got up and began to turn for the door. Hana left her chair just as fast getting between Shino and the door, her put out her hand to stop Shino. He felt her fingers on his stomach, after the first second it seemed as though she was exploring his surprisingly well-shaped abs. Her eyes went wide for a moment, she collected herself and said "I'm sorry Shino, I have to get ready. See you around." Accompanied by her mother, Hana left the Kennel and went inside the house.

Shino walked towards the compound exit past the audible growling sounds of Kuromaru. Though the sound quickly faded away as the Kikaichu began ringing in his ears again.


	4. Chapter 4

It was the sensation of mud between his toes that brought Shino back to his senses. He had walked for hours across the streets of Konoha, which at this time of year were mostly quiet. Shino felt a slight vibration in his abdominal area only realizing a few seconds later that it was not the Kikaichu rumbling but his stomach growling, he had not eaten all day. Seeing a nearby ramen shop Shino decided a quick bowl might improve his disposition.

Tadeki's Ramen House was a one man restaurant by the eastern gate of Konoha, pulling up a seat Shino ordered a bowl of pork ramen and sat down. Fingering a pair of chopsticks in his right hand proved to be impossible as the Kikaichu's vibrations froze his tendons, so he had to eat left handed. The steam from the ramen fogged up his glasses which made it hard to identify the other customers who walked into the shop.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder Shino wiped the steam from his lenses and saw that it was his team mates Kiba and Hinata with Hinata's younger sister Hanabi. He saw their lips moving but could not hear what they were saying as there was a loud hum in his ears. "Sorry," Shino began to apologize, "but my hearing is a little off tonight, I can't hear you."

Hinata's face showed her worry, a rather sisterly aspect she always showed to her team mates but it was still nice of her. Kiba and Hanabi returned to their conversation, Hinata seeming to be a chaperon for those two. The sight of Kiba with their team mate's younger sister caused Shino to pause for a moment to consider his own situation.

He had known Hana for years, there were times when he was younger he had so casually flirted with her. When he was 8 he boldly asked Hana to a dance, she teased him and then agreed to one dance. A present of flowers on her birthday when she was 16 and he 11, Ino Yamanaka had laughed at Shino when he walked into her family's store that day. But why, why did he admire her?

Shino finished his ramen and nodded to his teammates before walking out into the early evening air. Looking up he noticed that the snow clouds were clearing for the first time in days, wanting a better view he began jumping up to the roof of a nearby building, but a twitch in his leg messed up his jump causing him to land on his back rather than his feet. The landing may have knocked the wind out of him but the view would have done that regardless; with the clouds gone everything seemed so clear, the stars were perfect.

After a few minutes on his back Shino righted himself and looked out on Konoha, blanketed in a light screen of white. Shino thought to unzip his coat, but he realized that he hadn't even put it on when he left his house earlier that day. Putting a hand on his chest Shino felt the same rumbling that he had felt earlier when he was feeling hungry. Shino knew then that it was not the Kikaichu, and the insects were still rather dormant in their hives at the moment. Then he remembered that Hana had put her hand there; his blood rushed and his heart beat quickened.

'The Kikaichu are reacting to changes in my chakra, which is formed from my body's strength and my spiritual attunement.' Shino thought to himself. 'This is my body reacting to Hana's touch. How do I right this situation? Should I have taken my father's advice to just forget about Hana? Can I?'

His cheek felt warm all of a sudden before growing cold. Shino put his hand on his face and realized that he was crying, the night air was freezing his tears. It was then that Shino made his decision, he could not let Hana go. When he made that decision one of his Kikaichu left a hive in his right arm and began flapping it's wings and spinning around. Shino was unsure what that signified. One by one Kikaichu began leaving his body and were flying off in a western direction.

Shino got up to follow them, after a few moments he realized that he had lost one of his female tracking Kikaichu and that the others were following it. His head was in such a spin that he didn't remember sending out one of the special scent bugs he used for tracking purposes. As temperatures were falling Shino had to recollect the Kikaichu that had flown away before they'd start freezing.

Eventually he was led to one of the Shinobi offices where social events were held. Looking inside Shino saw that it was a formal event, as most of the guests were well dressed. He could tell that his lost Kikaichu was inside, so Shino entered with that intention to get his bug and go back out. Seeing the sign on the room that this was an event for Iwashi Tatame made Shino somewhat nervous, he remembered that name from earlier that afternoon.

Opening the door as quietly as he could Shino took a seat in the back of the room. There were many older Chuunin and several Jounin he recognized. There were a few envoys from the Fire Country's Daimyo that Shino recognized from the Chuunin Exam, and what appeared to be an ambassador from the Wind Country. Apparently Inoichi Yamanaka had just finished a speech and Iwashi Tatame was stepping up to the platform to accept something. Shino figured this was just a promotion, or reassignment ceremony so he decided to wait for it to finish.

A curtain opened towards the end of the presentation and Shino was stunned. It was a fan dance that was typically performed towards the end of a promotion wishing the one promoted good fortune in their new calling. What surprised Shino was who was performing the dance. Hana was in a stunning Sky Blue Kimono with red and yellow flowers. All at once his Kikaichu fell quiet, his senses seemed to sharpen, and what was a two minute dance seemed to last for an hour to him. He had seen the way she operated on her brother, her moves careful and deliberate. The grace she now moved with was that of a flower floating down a river. When she was finished Shino noticed that he was holding his breath.

The audience nodded a quiet approval, respectful but nothing to interrupt the proceedings. Iwashi walked up the the stage accepted his scroll of promotion and that concluded the ceremony. The first thing Iwashi did was approach Hana and kiss her on her cheek. Shino's vision seemed to blur and for the next few seconds he didn't know what he was doing. When his sight was still realigning he wondered why his knuckles hurt. Looking down he saw a bearded ninja whom he began to recognize as Iwashi flat on his back with blood coming out the corner of his mouth.

His senses still dulled Shino felt pulled in a direction away from the center of the room. When he regained control of himself he realized that he was being led up the stairs by none other than Hana. He tried to stop to clear his head when he heard her say, "Wait until you get to the roof to do that."

When they finally got out into the open air Shino still felt lightheaded.

"Still not quite alert yet? There's one surefire cure for that." Shino thought he heard Hana say.

His blurry vision seemed to drift to the left and Shino felt his hand reach towards his cheek only this time he was not checking for a tear. It was then he realized that he had been slapped, hard. "Do you need another or will that one do?" He asked, her hands neatly folded in front of her.

"I think that one was sufficient." Shino weakly responded, his spinning vision finally coming to a stop. Hana pulled out a miniature flashlight from a bag she was carrying, which Shino noticed also contained a first aid kit. She had him sit down on the edge of the roof and look into her eyes as she shone the light into either pupil checking the dilation. Upon finishing with that she put the light away and sat down next to Shino on the roof.

"Well I'm no psychiatrist, but I'd say that was an acute stress reaction. Have anything on your mind you'd like to tell me?"

"I love you."

When you think long enough about something, or someone, words that may otherwise be hard to say seem to come out on their own. Though he had no expectation of what her face would look like after saying that, he didn't like the sad look that came to her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't hav..." Shino began to say, but stopped as Hana sat down next to him. She sighed and looked at the stars, much as Shino had done earlier that evening on another rooftop. He felt her take his right hand in hers as they were still gazing upward. Her hands felt warm despite the cold night.

"I apologize for having to run out earlier when you came by the house." She said gently, "It was rude of me to do that even if I had to get ready for the party tonight. Shino, I think it's time the two of us had more than just a little talk."


	5. Chapter 5

"I love you." Those words had come so easily before, Shino wondered if he had said them before he was ready to. Minutes passed after Hana had said that they should talk and yet neither of them seemed able to say what was on their minds, or hearts for that matter. Shino felt himself shake slightly but it was not the Kikaichu nor the cold, he knew that he was just nervous. Noticing that his throat was dry was just a minor annoyance as he doubted he could say anything at this moment even if he had felt refreshed. He held in a quiet chuckle when he remembered that he had once read that when you confess your love it is as though a weight is released from your chest, the reality of the moment was quiet different from the literature had suggested.

Hana's eyes were closed and her head lowered towards the ground, she didn't even stir when Shino had held in his laugh. Mouth tightly closed she was breathing deeply through her nose, which knowing the Inuzuka clan could mean any number of things. Her ears twitched and perked reacting to some sound completely unheard to Shino. Without changing her tranquil composure she finally opened her mouth to say, "Things have finally settled down in the building. Most of the guests have left through the southern entrance, and there's no nighttime guard yet. We're really alone now."

Letting go of his hands Hana carefully undid her elaborate hairstyle that had been done up for her dance earlier that evening. Putting the hairpins in her purse she felt for a hair tie which she then used to style herself into her usual ponytail.

"That's better," she said seeming very relieved, "I hate having to do my hair like that."

"I've never understood traditions of style," Shino half mumbled, barely able to speak, "It always seemed like more of a hassle than anything else."

A look that could only be that of annoyance flashed across Hana's face. "And you were doing so well. You hit poor Iwashi out of jealousy then tell me you love me only to go backwards to commenting on antiquated fashion styles." The anger on her face vanished as she began laughing genuinely.

To say Shino was confused would be an understatement. He opened his mouth preparing to apologize but Hana but him off.

"If you're going to apologize again I am getting off of this roof. You are a bold and tactful young man," her words emphasized young, "you are better than having to constantly apologize."

"How about an explanation?" Shino suggested.

"That sounds like a wonderful start."

Shino unconsciously put his hands to the bridge of his nose as to adjust his sunglasses, it took him a second to realize that he wasn't wearing them at the moment. Seeing Hana stare at him did little to help his mental struggle to choose his words. Clearing his throat he began explaining his situation.

"Maybe it's just the fact I turned 18 recently but I've been thinking a lot about my life. I've never really been understood by anyone. I missed out on a lot of friends because I was an Aburame," he chuckled, "I remember one kid actually thought that I would curse him with bed bugs if he got to close to me. I've never been one to talk a lot. My silence kept others away from me, but I guess I chose to shut them out. Perhaps it is because we're Shinobi, trained in stealth, surveillance, espionage, and secrecy but I can't help feeling that I'm a mystery that nobody cares about solving; and I would wonder if they're right, if I'm not worth the effort to figure out."

Hana's eyes were filled with concern, but Shino continued.

"You always seemed different. I didn't notice it until the other day because you've always been on the peripheral. Perhaps I am just a love struck young man trying to get over his childhood 'puppy love' but I can't deny there's something about you. When you smile at me I feel that perhaps my mystery is one worth unraveling."

The evening air may very well have been cold enough to freeze water by this point but Shino definitely was not feeling it when he finished, his face felt almost unbearably hot. Hana thumbed her nose twice and sniffed a couple of times, her eyebrows arched as her mouth pursed and her eyes rolled to an upper corner in what appeared to be a pensive manner. Exhaling again she said in an irritated manner, "If we're going continue we're going to have to be honest with each other. What was the medical condition you have that keeps you from doing missions?"

Shino fought back a cough after hearing the unexpected question. It made sense he figured, a doctor wanting to know about a medical condition, after all that was what he had been wanting to see her about earlier that day.

"My father did not tell me a lot about it. Essentially my Kikaichu are reacting to a change in my chakra; because of the change I have uncontrollable muscle spasms, my senses fluctuate, I have random pains, and… I am completely incapable of getting you off of my mind." Shino was silent for a second before continuing. "My Dad called it being Twitterpated, though that's as ridiculous a name as anything else I've ever heard."

"I told you to be honest. There's something about this condition you haven't explained."

"Uh, well. To put it simply, I think my Kikaichu are reacting to you. Without realizing it I fell in love with you, and that changed me enough to where they are reacting as a result of me being…"

"Love sick?"

"Essentially."

Hana rubbed her chin twice but a smile spread across her lips. Before he could react she had scooted over next to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for being honest Shino. Now it's my turn."

Shino's hand was now quite happily on his right cheek, a wondrous contrast to the slap he had received on his left cheek earlier that evening. He struggled through the bliss to listen intently on what Hana was preparing to tell him.

"I love Konoha. Back in the old days Clans would war against other Clans and the only interaction had would be violent. Now we have the opportunity to learn from each other and work together. But even after five generations we still know so little about each other. Like your 'twitterpated', I never knew that your bugs would react like that. Then again the Inuzuka Clan has it's own oddity."

Hana shook her head with an inward disgust.

"I have a love/hate thing with my name. Means both 'flower' and 'nose', my mother has an oddly appropriate sense of things. You see we Inuzuka have a very advanced sense of smell. We can pick up scents from miles away, track specific odors and people, and even pheromones. Although rare, some of us… get 'stuck' with a single smell in our noses. The Clan elders all say that it's an especially powerful tracking technique, but every documented case of this happening ends the… same way."

Shino was surprised that the face of this woman he always admired had become to bright red.

"It is as though our bodies find a special scent and keep it at the center of our attention until the scent is ours alone. Aa, as I said every time it happens the result is always the same. It's a… technique used to track our mates."

Shino felt so warm that he could not comprehend how the snow in the entire village managed to stay frozen in the heat he was feeling. He put down his right hand from his cheek to steady himself but found that he had placed it on Hana's thigh. Unabashed Hana's face came closer again to his own.

"You say you've been unable to get me off your mind for the past week; but I've known about you for years."

"Hana."

Shino put his hand on her cheek and let his fingers explore her hair for a moment. When he saw her eyes close he did the same and the two shared their first real kiss. It was then Shino knew that although the Kikaichu would stop their fluttering, the fast beating of his heart when he was around Hana never would.


	6. A Valentine's Epilogue

Cutting the thread of the stitches with her teeth gave just the right amount of visceral satisfaction Hana needed. It was already half an hour after her shift had ended but a doctor doesn't have the privilege of knowing when patients come in for treatment nor control over the severity of the injuries. Looking over the now closed wound Hana was grateful that in her frustration with running late she hadn't tied the stitches too right or too close. Seeing her replacement only now walk in she practically snarled at the man; but having no time to "chew him out" she hurriedly washed her hands and left, she smiled slightly at the thought of having the Haimaru Brothers do the chewing for her.

Running late was made easier by the fact that home was only a few blocks away from the clinic. The loud sounds from the kennels told her that it was feeding time, the shout of pain from her brother Kiba told her that he had foolishly stuck out his hand too far again. Getting up to her room Hana was surprised to find everything she needed carefully laid out on her bed. Her sense of smell revealed that her mother had been in her room recently.

Hana picked up the red dress and remembered the day she had bought it. It was to celebrate her graduation as a Special Jounin; others saw her as a glorified veterinarian, but she was a proud Konoichi and she made sure nobody belittled her twice. Feeling the fabric she felt a bit of sadness that she had never had occasion to wear the dress for a whole year. Realizing that the time was getting even later Hana quickly changed out of her uniform and began putting on the dress.

"You smell pensive tonight Hana?" her mother Tsume said in a gruff manner from the doorway. "Thinking twice about going out with that bug boy are you?"

Turning to face her mother Hana smiled and responded, "You wouldn't have laid out my clothes like this if you were against me seeing him… and his name is Shino."

Letting out a laugh deeper than most men's Tsume scratched her head and a rare genuine smile crossed her face, "I love you to pieces girl, but you are a pain in my side. You have one of the best noses in the Clan, but you became a medic. You can command a full squad of dogs better than most can handle one, but you'd rather tend the kennels than lead a pack in combat. You're soft, but you put your fist in the face of anyone who calls you weak." Tsume's scent seemed somewhat playful and serious at the same time, "I've never understood you child, until now. I've decided you are like me; you take what you want, only the things you want aren't the same as mine. If you want this," Tsume stepped behind Hana and finished helping put the dress on, "then I hope it's what makes you happy."

"He does." Hana replied. The smell coming from her mother seemed to be one of pride. The moment was interrupted by the sound of Kiba clearing his throat from the door.

"He's waiting for you outside." Kiba announced, not knocking due to recently gained wounds on his hands.

"I know, he's been out there for a few minutes now," Hana said. The vague scents of pine and cinnamon that Shino gave off were always on the edge of her senses, but always grew stronger when he was near. She could pick him out of a crowd with her eyes shut she knew his scent so well.

"Have a good time girl," Tusme said while trying to shoo Hana out of the house. Just before Hana was out of earshot she hear her brother say, "It's about time."

Shino had obviously been pacing in front of the compound waiting for her. A faint hint of Kiba's scent indicated that he had spoken to Kiba for a moment. She looked back towards her house with a somewhat frustrated face.

"No, Kiba didn't threaten me," Shino reassured her, "He just wanted to know where I was taking you, though I'm sure he could find us easily if he really wanted to."

Not wasting anymore time they began walking off to the Dirty Dancing Club that neither of them had gone to, but had been recommended to Shino many times by his team mate Hinata and her sister Hanabi, and from what Hana understood those two were accomplished dancers. Personally Hana preferred traditional dancing, only knowing a few of the more modern dances.

Hana could tell that Shino was still not entirely used to being around her. He had become much less stiff than he usually was, but he wasn't yet completely comfortable either. She took his arm in hers which seemed to calm him significantly. Turning a corner Hana smelled Shino take on a hint of jealousy and quickly found out why. She noticed Iwashi further ahead on the street walking in their direction. He was escorting a girl on his own arm, a Suna Kunoichi by the look of her; Iwashi still had a black eye from Shino's hit last week, having refused to have it healed.

"I never did tell you about Iwashi did I?" Hana spoke in a low voice so only Shino would hear. Looking at his face, his expression was one of annoyance and embarrassment at the same time, Hana could barely contain herself from kissing him right there he was so adorable. "He's a friend of one of my cousins, they were on the same team after they graduated from the Academy. He knew I'm a traditional dancer so he asked me to perform the Fan Dance at his promotion. Oh, and the girl he's with… is his fiancé."

Shino practically turned beet red at that last comment, his head turned away from Iwashi's direction. As they passed each other Hana smiled and nodded at Iwashi who seemed too absorbed in the conversation of his companion to notice.

Arriving at the club Shino paid the cover charge but before Hana walked in she stopped her in the coat room. Having taken off his coat she noticed he was wearing a simple short sleeved black shirt and matching pants. Konoha's spring came a little earlier this year, despite last weeks snows, so it was definitely warm enough. Upon seeing Shino's larger than expected biceps and arm muscles Hana was trying to decide if it was in fact too warm. From behind his back Shino pulled out a small yellow box, opening it revealed a rare winter rose.

"I got this for you," Shino said in a voice barely louder than the din from the main room, "I read in one of my magazines that in an Island in the south women wear flowers in their hair above their ears. Wearing a flower above their right ear means they're single and looking for a man." He got the flower out of the box and held it up for Hana to see better.

"And if they wear it above their left ear?" Hana asked.

"It means that they are… involved with someone." Shino said with a hint of reservation in his voice. Hana reached her hands towards Shino's and guided his hands towards her left ear where he placed the flower in her hair and secured it with a small clip.

Though they had paid their entry fee to the dance hall Hana and Shino spent most of the night in the coat closet dancing closely in each other's arms to the soft and somewhat faded music. Hana breathed deeply the smell of Shino, his scent seemed to smooth away all the troubles of her day with each breath she took.

"Say it again Shino." Hana asked after some time had passed.

Shino hesitated for a moment as though lost in thought himself. Hana wondered if perhaps she should have told him exactly what it was she wanted him to say but before she could she heard him whisper, "I love you, Hana."

The bustle of the dance club wore on throughout the evening, but nothing disturbed the two. Lost in each others arms on a warm Valentine's night Shino and Hana danced on, comforted in knowing that they had each found the missing part of themselves.


End file.
